Today at 1:00pm, Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito announced updates to gathering sizes and capacity levels across a series of industries in order to prevent the continued spread of COVID-19. The measures announced today will go into effect on Saturday, December 26 and will remain in effect until Sunday, January 10, unless the data at that time indicates a further need to extend.
Effective, December 26, the following industries must reduce capacity to 25% from their current capacity levels:
Sector Revised Capacity Limits†
Notes
Gatherings (adjusting Order No. 57)
10 persons indoors
25 persons outdoors
applies to both private homes and event venues and public spaces
Restaurants – 25% of seating capacity
(a) workers/staff excluded from occupancy count;
(b) applies separately to indoor and outdoor capacity
Close Contact Personal Services – 25%
workers/staff excluded from occupancy count
Indoor and Outdoor Events
10 persons indoors
25 persons outdoors
workers/staff excluded from occupancy count
Theaters and Performance Venues
(Indoor performance venues remain closed)
Movie theaters – 25% and maximum 50 people
Outdoor performance venues – 25% and maximum 25 people
Casinos – 25%
MGC to re-issue capacity rules as necessary
Office Spaces – 25%
Places of Worship – 25%
workers/staff excluded from occupancy count
Retail Businesses – 25%
workers/staff excluded from occupancy count
Driving and Flight Schools – 25%
Golf Facilities – 25%
applies only to indoor spaces
Libraries – 25%
Operators of Lodgings – 25%
applies only to common areas
Arcades & Other Indoor & Outdoor Recreation Businesses – 25%
Fitness Centers and Health Clubs – 25%
Museums / Cultural & Historical Facilities / Guided Tours by vehicles and vessels- 25%
Sectors Not Otherwise Addressed – 25%
Areas in facilities subject to EEA-issued COVID-19 safety rules – 25%
applies only to indoor spaces and excludes youth and amateur sports facilities
Hospitals should postpone non-essential, elective, invasive procedures unless delaying would lead to high risk or serious decline in patient’s health
Ambulatory, outpatient treatment, Preventive, inpatient and emergency services will not be affected and remain open.
†General Provision: Where no licensed or permitted capacity allowance is on record and for any enclosed space within a larger facility, occupancy shall be limited to no more than 5 persons per 1,000 square feet.
The 25% capacity limit will not apply to manufacturing, laboratories, drive in movie theaters, and construction. We will continue to monitor the data over the next two weeks. For further information please visit www.mass.gov/reapertura and please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any questions.
Fuente del artículo: State House News Service
Artículo por: Matt Murphy
The Beginning of the End
DEC. 18, 2020…..One step forward, two steps back.
Or in the case of Speaker Bob DeLeo, one foot out the door.
The week before Christmas began with a COVID-19 vaccine arriving at Massachusetts hospitals in a cloud of dry ice and 96-year-old World War II veteran Margaret Klessens becoming the first resident of a Veterans Affairs facility in the country to roll up her sweater and get the shot.
And it will end with House speeding toward an historic transition of power, as the longest serving speaker in that institution’s history prepares to depart for what he hopes will be a job at his alma mater, Northeastern University.
If and when DeLeo ends his 30-year legislative career, Majority Leader Ron Mariano appears poised to walk through the door and claim the speaker’s chair. But Rep. Russell Holmes made clear Friday he will have his say before that happens.
The first recipients of the Pfizer vaccine – in keeping with Gov. Charlie Baker’s vaccination plan — were mostly frontline health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, like the VA community living center in Bedford where Klessens resides. That included Rep. Jon Santiago, an ER doctor just back from a military deployment to the Middle East.
But even as the vaccine seemed to put the end of the pandemic within sight, COVID-19 cases continued to pile up at an average rate of roughly 4,500 a day and the new business restrictions put in place by Baker weren’t enough for some cities and towns.
Baker last week announced that beginning this past Sunday the state would take a step backward in its reopening, meaning indoor entertainment venues, roller rinks and some other types of businesses would have to close and all others would face tighter capacity limits.
That didn’t go far enough for some, however, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh got the ball rolling on a more regional lockdown by announcing that in the state’s largest city gyms, movie theaters, museums and other large indoor gathering spaces would also be forced to close again.
Boston’s lead was quickly followed by Brockton, Lynn, Newton, Somerville and Arlington. Instead of Phase 3, Step 1, the mayors were taking their cities to Phase 2, Step 2 and in doing so created a patchwork of rules and restrictions in Greater Boston as the pandemic worsens before it gets better.
The severity of the public health crisis was not lost on Baker, despite critics faulting the governor for not taking the state into a broader economic lockdown in order to try to get control of the virus.
Baker on Tuesday pleaded with residents to sacrifice one Christmas with their families this year so that more families will be together next year.
Baker made a similar request before Thanksgiving, asking people to confine their festivities to individual households, but based on the sobering statistics he rattled off at a State House press conference it appears not enough people listened.
The average number of daily cases nearly doubled to 4,800 in the 10- to 14-day window after Thanksgiving, according to the Baker administration, and hospitalizations were up 93 percent.
Since the holiday, 830 people in Massachusetts have died of COVID-19.
The pandemic may be raging, but economists saw reasons to be optimistic.
Gathered by the Legislature and Executive Office of Administration and Finance to help predict what the next fiscal year will bring, most of the panelists agreed that fiscal year 2022, which begins on July 1, has the potential to be a big rebound year for the economy.
On the most optimistic end of the spectrum, Evan Horowitz told state budget writers that they could have up to $3.46 billion more in tax revenue next year to play with than they did when constructing the most recent budget.
Not everyone shared Horowitz’s level of enthusiasm for where the economy was headed, but most agreed that if Congress delivered another round of stimulus and the vaccine proves effective and easily distributable to the general public by the spring, sales and lodging taxes could surge and income taxes will climb as the number of unemployed workers recedes.
Revenue Commissioner Geoff Snyder predicted growth as high as 8.8 percent in fiscal year 2022, and Congressional leaders were closing in on a nearly $1 trillion stimulus package as the weekend loomed, albeit one that was unlikely to include direct aid for state and municipal governments.
If those predictions come true, writing next year’s budget will be a lot easier for legislators than many had feared when they wrestled with how much to take from the state’s $3.5 billion “rainy day” fund this year.
But for the first time since 2005 when he became Ways and Means chairman, it appears Bob DeLeo’s fingerprints will not be all over the annual state budget.
The cyclical rumors about DeLeo’s future, or lack thereof, in the House kicked up fresh on Wednesday as the Legislature approached the start of a new session. But this time something felt different. And it turned out something was different.
DeLeo’s office refused to push back Wednesday against rumors that he was preparing to exit the State House once and for all, and it took NBC 10 reporting that DeLeo was headed for Northeastern to prompt any sort of response from his office.
That response was a carefully worded denial that DeLeo had an agreement in place to join the university, but nothing that would cause anyone to believe he had plans to stick around.
The Thursday snowstorm gave DeLeo a bit of space to calculate his next move, and on Friday he filed an ethics disclosure indicating that he intended to enter into negotiations with Northeastern for future employment.
With DeLeo all but announcing a date for his resignation, Mariano and his team moved quickly to position the leader as the speaker-in-waiting, but Holmes, a Mattapan Democrat and critic of DeLeo’s leadership, said he wouldn’t let the speakership go without a fight.
“At least we won’t just roll over and hand over the speakership in another backroom deal like they did 12 years ago,” Holmes told the News Service, describing the orchestrated hand-off of power from one white man to another as “structural racism personified.”
But even Holmes acknowledged that it will be difficult for him to overcome the support Mariano’s been building within the institution for years, mentoring younger lawmakers like Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz, who is expected to stay where he is, and representatives like Claire Cronin and Michael Moran, who could be in line for promotions.
But as the House waits for DeLeo’s departure schedule, Mariano urged legislators not to lose focus on the business in front of them. This week that included rejecting Baker’s proposed amendment to an abortion measure that would expand access to the procedure.
The House and Senate voted to stick with provisions that would lower the age for an abortion without parental or judicial consent from 18 to 16 and make clear that abortions after 24 weeks can be allowed to “preserve” a patient’s physical or mental health.
Baker will now have to decide whether to sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature.
Mariano also said the House must not allow Baker to “dilute our police reform legislation,” potentially foreshadowing votes on the governor’s amendments to the police accountability bill in the coming weeks.
Wondering how transform social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter into powerful marketing tools for your business?
If you’re like most small-to-medium business owners, you know that your clients, customers, and prospects are already spending a significant amount of their day browsing through their social media feeds, but did you know exactly how much time?
Recent studies reveal that the average American consumer spends about 5 hours per day on their mobile device, and half that screen time involves social media sites. This makes social media an obvious place to focus your marketing efforts, however, chances are good you either don’t have the time or the know-how it takes to manage multiple social media feeds – that’s where automation can help.
Social Media Made Simple With Automation Services
There’s a number of online tools and services designed to make social media management simple and stress-free for companies, providing you with a seamless, worry-free way to attract and retain your online audience.
Some of the most well-known social media automation apps for businesses include Hootsuite, SproutSocial, and Buffer. While the features vary slightly between each product, each one is designed to give you a one-stop interface that allows you to quickly monitor all of your social media accounts at once, schedule posts, and track tags and mentions.
Social media automation tools also provide advanced features like analytics that allow you to track which posts are most popular, monitor for negative comments, and link with other apps like YouTube Analytics.
Turn Your Blog Into A Newsletter
Another valuable way to increase the ROI of your social media efforts is turning the content in your blog into a newsletter that you can share through your feeds and distribute through your email list. Transforming your blog into an email newsletter is simple using the five steps outlined by the Content Marketing Institute here.
Share Content From Industry Experts
Social media isn’t all about you and your business – it’s about sharing content that supports your messaging and aligns with your brand. Look for opportunities to pass on information about your industry on your social media feeds. Not only does sharing relevant content save on the volume of unique content you need to create, but it also helps to position your business as a subject matter expert in your field.
Fuente del artículo: State House News Service
Artículo por: Michael P. Norton
Los compradores pagan un precio mediano récord en noviembre de $460,000
15 DE DIC. 2020…..Las bajas tasas de interés y el cambio al trabajo desde casa están contribuyendo a un continuo “frenesí” de compra de viviendas en Massachusetts, y tanto la actividad de ventas como los precios batieron nuevos récords en noviembre.
Las ventas subieron casi un 25 por ciento el mes pasado y el precio medio de venta de una vivienda unifamiliar aumentó un 17,6 por ciento en comparación con noviembre del año pasado, hasta alcanzar los $460,000, según informó The Warren Group el martes por la mañana.
Tras una pausa cuando golpeó la crisis del COVID-19 en marzo, el mercado se recuperó con fuerza en verano y el ritmo de ventas se ha mantenido hasta el otoño, ya que compradores, vendedores y la industria se han adaptado a las condiciones de la pandemia.
Las ventas en noviembre superaron a las de junio, revirtiendo el patrón tradicional en el que la compra de viviendas repunta en primavera y se desacelera en el cuarto trimestre, dijo Tim Warren, CEO de The Warren Group.
“Los compradores están aprovechando las tasas de interés históricamente bajas y la posibilidad de trabajar desde casa para fijarse en comunidades cada vez más alejadas de sus oficinas, ahora que la comunidad es un factor menos importante para muchos compradores potenciales”, dijo Warren.
Las ventas en abril cayeron casi un 14 por ciento. Se desplomaron un 30 por ciento en mayo y bajaron un 24 por ciento en junio, antes de comenzar a recuperarse en junio y julio, para luego dispararse un 27 por ciento en septiembre.
Mientras el mes pasado se registraron unas ventas récord de 5.773, las ventas disminuyeron un 11 por ciento en el condado de Suffolk, pero fueron “especialmente fuertes” en las islas de Nantucket y Martha's Vineyard, dijo Warren.
El mes pasado se registraron 41 ventas de viviendas en Nantucket, en comparación con las 12 de noviembre de 2019, y el precio mediano de venta de las viviendas en la isla en noviembre fue de poco menos de $2 millones, según los datos de Warren Group.
Las ventas de viviendas el mes pasado en el condado de Barnstable aumentaron más del 52 por ciento en comparación con noviembre de 2019, y las ventas en el oeste del condado de Berkshire el mes pasado aumentaron un 43.5 por ciento interanual.
Las ventas de viviendas unifamiliares han aumentado un 1,5 por ciento durante los primeros once meses de 2019. El precio mediano de venta de las viviendas unifamiliares este año es de $445,000, lo que representa un aumento del 11,3 por ciento en comparación con el año pasado.
El mercado de departamentos no ha estado tan sólido, pero las ventas en noviembre aumentaron más del 11 por ciento en comparación con noviembre de 2019, y el precio mediano de venta de los departamentos el mes pasado subió un 8.5 por ciento hasta alcanzar los $410,000, un récord para ese mes.
En lo que va del año, las ventas de departamentos han bajado un 3,5 por ciento en comparación con los primeros 11 meses de 2019, con un precio mediano de $415,000, lo que representa un aumento del 9,2 por ciento. Los precios medianos de los departamentos bajaron el mes pasado en los condados de Suffolk y Middlesex.
Gardner, MA – December 14, 2020 – Heywood Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ in the Fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Heywood Hospital’s achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade to all general hospitals across the country and is updated every six months. It is based on a hospital’s performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.
Win Brown, President and CEO of Heywood Healthcare said, “We are incredibly proud to receive this national accolade. We strive to provide an exceptional care experience for every patient and their family everyday, without exception. We are also tremendously proud of the care provided at Heywood Hospital’s LaChance Maternity Center, recognized as a Newsweek’s Best 2020 Maternity Care Hospital.
“We are extremely grateful to hospital leadership and health care workers who have remained steadfast in prioritizing patient safety as our nation battles COVID-19,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This ‘A’ is a testament to the care and commitment of those who work for Heywood Hospital. With the current pandemic exposing existing flaws within the U.S. health care system, we appreciate you putting patient safety first. Lives depend on it.”
Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
Heywood Hospital was awarded an ‘A’ grade today when Leapfrog updated grades for Fall 2020. To see Heywood Hospital’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter y Facebook.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is a national nonprofit organization driving a movement for giant leaps forward in the quality and safety of American health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital Survey and new Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey collect and transparently report hospital and ASC performance, empowering purchasers to find the highest-value care and giving consumers the lifesaving information, they need to make informed decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns letter grades to hospitals based on their record of patient safety, helping consumers protect themselves and their families from errors, injuries, accidents and infections.
About Heywood Hospital
A member of the Heywood Healthcare system, Heywood Hospital is a 134-bed acute care community-owned non-profit hospital in Gardner, MA, providing a broad range of high quality medical, orthopedic, bariatric, surgical, obstetrical, pediatric and behavioral health services on an inpatient and outpatient basis. The hospital’s featured Centers include the Center for Weight Loss & Bariatric Surgery. the Watkins Center for Emergency and Acute Care; the LaChance Maternity Center; the Diabetes Center, and the Heywood Heart and Vascular Center.
About Heywood Healthcare
Heywood Healthcare is an independent, community-owned healthcare system serving north central Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. It is comprised of Heywood Hospital, a 134-bed acute care community-owned non-profit hospital in Gardner, MA; Athol Hospital, a 25-bed not-for-profit, Critical Access Hospital in Athol, MA; Heywood Medical Group, with primary care physicians and specialists located throughout the region; and the Quabbin Retreat, our premier destination for treatment of mental health and substance misuse.
The organization includes six satellite facilities in MA: Heywood Rehabilitation Center & Heywood Urgent Care in Gardner, Winchendon Health Center & Murdock School-based Health Center in Winchendon, Tully Family Medicine and Walk-In Care in Athol; and West River Health Center in Orange. The organization also includes the Heywood Healthcare Charitable Foundation. For more information, visit www.heywood.org.
Gracias a internet, el comportamiento del consumidor ha cambiado drásticamente en la última década, especialmente en lo que respecta a la búsqueda de negocios locales.
Un aspecto clave de este crecimiento en las búsquedas en línea de negocios locales es la amplia propiedad de dispositivos móviles ‘inteligentes’ como teléfonos inteligentes y tabletas que permiten a los usuarios conectarse a Internet en cualquier lugar, en cualquier momento. Pew Research Center informa que el 77 por ciento de los estadounidenses posee un teléfono inteligente, en comparación con el 35 por ciento en 2011.
Los resultados de búsqueda basados en la ubicación impulsan el tráfico local
Porque los dispositivos móviles inteligentes tienen rastreadores GPS incorporados, Google y otros motores de búsqueda han adaptado sus algoritmos para asegurar que los consumidores que buscan un negocio en su teléfono o tableta sean dirigidos automáticamente a empresas verificadas que se encuentran cerca.
Los consumidores tienden a recurrir a las búsquedas locales cuando necesitan un producto o servicio de inmediato: categorías como restaurantes, cafeterías y bares se encuentran entre las búsquedas locales más populares, mientras que agentes inmobiliarios, contratistas y gimnasios también son comunes.
Otro los negocios que se benefician del tráfico de búsqueda local incluyen granjas, paseadores de perros y camiones de comida, así como servicios de guardería, minoristas de ropa, abogados, dentistas y médicos. En pocas palabras, el mismo tipo de negocios que solían ver un tráfico significativo de anuncios en las Páginas Amarillas y periódicos locales hace 25 años, ahora se benefician de las búsquedas locales en internet.
Si su negocio atiende a consumidores y clientes en su vecindario, enfocar sus esfuerzos de marketing en la búsqueda en línea local podría proporcionarle un gran retorno de la inversión para su empresa.
El Dr. Sam Alkhoury, DMD, se autoproclama el “disruptor del mercado” en su campo y especialidad, la ortodoncia.
El Dr. Alkhoury inició su negocio en 2005 y desde entonces no ha dejado de avanzar. En 2007, fue galardonado como ortodoncista #1 en Worcester durante dos años consecutivos. Desarrolló e implementó un enfoque único en ortodoncia y diseñó un modelo de negocio eficiente y replicable que ha llevado a la adquisición o apertura exitosa de 15 sucursales de Simply Orthodontics, ubicadas principalmente en el área central de Massachusetts, pero con expansión hacia Nueva Inglaterra.
“Noté que otros ortodoncistas eran más ‘tradicionales’, y nadie estaba usando métodos innovadores para ayudar a los pacientes en tratamientos sin extracciones”, dijo Alkhoury.
“—¡A los pacientes les encanta cuando les dices que no hay que extraerles ningún diente! —rio.
Simply Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, que forma parte de Simply Dental Management, abrió en Fitchburg en julio de 2018. Son un centro integral perfecto para las necesidades de su familia y pediatricas, desde la primera visita al dentista hasta el momento de usar ortodoncia.
Brindan servicio a todos los miembros de la comunidad, incluyendo Medicaid, para que puedan ofrecer tratamiento y atención de ortodoncia a todos los que lo necesiten, incluyendo un Descuento en Ortodoncia.
“Es importante señalar que el descuento en ortodoncia está diseñado para ayudar a aquellas familias a las que se les ha negado el beneficio a través de MassHealth”, dijo el Dr. Alkhoury. “El 25 de marzo de este año, Massachusetts modificó sus criterios de elegibilidad para menores de 18 años. Desde entonces, hemos observado una reducción en la aceptación de casos por parte del estado, lo que dificulta mucho que las familias puedan recibir el tratamiento que necesitan”.”
Debido a esta reducción, Simply Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry de Fitchburg ofrece un descuento de $550 en los aparatos ortodónticos tradicionales o en Invisalign, y un descuento de $59 en exámenes, limpiezas y radiografías de odontología pediátrica, con algunas restricciones que podrían aplicarse.
“Como estamos en el campo de la medicina, tenemos pautas muy estrictas”, afirmó el Dr. Alkhoury. “Hemos implementado precauciones como preguntas de preselección antes de que vengan y cuando llegan, distanciamiento social, mantener la cantidad de pacientes en la oficina lo más baja posible, llamar desde los automóviles antes de venir. Un desafío que enfrentamos fue adquirir equipo de protección personal (EPP) para todos los miembros del equipo”.”
El sitio web de la Asociación Dental Estadounidense (ADA) afirma que su guía exige el más alto nivel de equipo de protección personal disponible: mascarillas, gafas y protectores faciales.
Con los negocios locales enfrentando la actual pandemia, Simply Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry ve un futuro prometedor y está considerando adquirir negocios en el área de Fitchburg para sumarlos a su ubicación existente. Buscan hacer crecer orgánicamente sus prácticas actuales con pacientes y continuar abriendo nuevas sedes donde sus servicios sean necesarios en Nueva Inglaterra.
Según el Dr. Alkhoury, el precio del tratamiento de ortodoncia ha ido a la baja, independientemente del COVID-19, pero insta a los pacientes a invertir en él mientras puedan hacerlo, ya que el costo del tratamiento podría aumentar en un futuro cercano.
“¡Si lo estás pensando, ven y hazlo antes de que sea demasiado tarde!“, dijo.
Simply Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry es miembro de la Cámara de Comercio del Centro Norte de Massachusetts y actualmente está dando la bienvenida a pacientes nuevos y antiguos a su consultorio que desean mejorar su autoestima a través de sus hermosas sonrisas. El consultorio está ubicado en 50 Whalon Street en Fitchburg, y se puede contactar por teléfono al 978-424-4255 o en línea en https://www.simplyorthopedo.com/
Las medidas descritas a continuación entrarán en vigor a las 12:01 a. m. del domingo 13 de diciembre. La Mancomunidad en su totalidad pasará a la Fase 3, Paso 1 del Plan de Reapertura. Además, las siguientes actualizaciones de los límites de capacidad entrarán en vigor:
Reuniones al aire libre en recintos y espacios públicos para hasta 50 personas
Cines al aire libre y recintos para espectáculos: 25% y un máximo de 50 personas
Cerrar cines y salas de espectáculos en interiores y algunos negocios de recreación en interiores más pequeños como pistas de patinaje y parques de trampolines
Reducir la capacidad de 50% a 40% para varios sectores industriales que se indican a continuación:
Arcades / Negocios recreativos interiores y exteriores
Escuelas de conducción y vuelo
Gimnasios/Clubes de salud
Bibliotecas
Museos
Minorista
Oficinas
Lugares de culto
Alojamiento (áreas comunes)
Golf
Cines (no más de 50 personas por sala)
Actualizaciones de protocolos para restaurantes y centros de eventos
Se realizarán las siguientes actualizaciones en los protocolos de restaurantes y locales de eventos con respecto a cubrebocas, asientos y presentaciones:
Usar mascarilla en todo momento, excepto al comer y beber.
Siéntese no más de seis por mesa y anime a los clientes a comer solo con miembros de su mismo hogar.
Pon un límite de tiempo de 90 minutos en las mesas
Prohibir todas las actuaciones musicales en restaurantes
Asientos cerrados en patio de comidas
Protocolos actualizados para centros de trabajo y gimnasios
Las siguientes actualizaciones se realizarán en los protocolos de Espacios de Oficina y Centros de Ejercicio con respecto al uso de cubrebocas:
Requerir el uso de mascarilla en oficinas cuando no se esté en el propio espacio de trabajo y solo.
Exigir el uso de mascarillas en todo momento en los gimnasios
Fomenta el teletrabajo
Todas las actualizaciones de la guía sectorial se encuentran en www.mass.gov/reapertura a finales de esta semana.
Fuente del artículo: State House News Service
Artículo por: Matt Murphy
El primero puede ser el más difícil
4 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2020…. El atasco del "pato cojo" se rompió esta semana, y de él surgió la posibilidad de que el compromiso, en estos ventosos días de diciembre, pudiera ser al menos una fracción tan contagioso como el COVID-19.
Con los casos diarios del mortífero coronavirus alcanzando nuevos máximos y las camas de hospital llenándose a un ritmo preocupante, la Legislatura comenzó a mostrar por qué fue exactamente que votaron en julio para ignorar décadas de precedente y extender su sesión no por uno o dos, sino por más de cinco meses.
La primera ficha de dominó en caer fue quizás la más difícil de volcar, a pesar de todo el viento a su favor en julio. Mientras ráfagas reales soplaban arriba y abajo de la costa el lunes, los demócratas de la Cámara de Representantes y del Senado llegaron a un acuerdo para reformar cómo la policía en Massachusetts debe comportarse en el trabajo y cómo será fiscalizada a partir de ahora.
El proyecto de ley de compromiso, impulsado por la muerte de George Floyd y las consiguientes protestas por la violencia policial contra personas negras, crearía una nueva Comisión de Estándares y Capacitación para Oficiales de Paz para certificar a todas las fuerzas del orden en Massachusetts y para descertificar a los policías que violen su deber de servir y proteger.
El proyecto de ley limitaría el uso de estrangulamientos y órdenes de registro sin previo aviso, y despojaría a los oficiales de policía de su protección de inmunidad calificada contra demandas civiles si su certificación es revocada por mala conducta.
Pero este proyecto de ley no fue pan comido para los legisladores, y el gobernador Charlie Baker sigue siendo un comodín poderoso. Ni un solo republicano respaldó el proyecto de ley de reforma policial, y el presidente Robert DeLeo no pudo conseguir una mayoría a prueba de veto, con una votación de 92-67 en la Cámara que fue muy reñida para los estándares de Beacon Hill.
Los márgenes colocan a Baker en la inusual posición de tener en realidad una considerable influencia mientras sopesa cómo abordar el problema en los próximos días y semanas. Por un lado, Baker quiere una nueva Comisión POST con la autoridad para certificar y descertificar a la policía, y los líderes legislativos lo saben.
But because of the complexity of the legislation and its attempts to take on issues like qualified immunity, Democratic leaders may be forced to negotiate amendments with the governor unless they’re willing to risk a veto that would push off action to next year.
The annual state budget is a different breed of bill, and was the second box to get checked this week.
Unlike the more than four months it took to negotiate a compromise policing bill, it took almost a month to the day for the House and Senate to move the fiscal 2021 from a House Ways and Means draft, released two days after the election, to a final budget on its way to the governor’s desk.
Of course, that budget is still five months late by non-pandemic standards. But who’s counting anymore, except maybe the bond rating agencies.
The final budget now in Baker’s hands for review proposes to spend more than $46.2 billion in a year during which lawmakers have been girding for the financial worst, but not yet seeing it. Revenues continue to outperform 2019 in spite of the pandemic, and rather than make real tough choices about where to spend, the conference committee simply upped its draw on reserves by $200 million to $1.7 billion, using about 48 percent of the “rainy day” account.
How that will be received by Baker, who recommended using considerably less in reserves, remains to be seen, as does his reaction to a controversial expansion of abortion access that would make abortions after 24 weeks legal in cases of diagnosed fatal fetal anomalies.
Other policy changes included in the budget include an acceleration of sales tax collections opposed by retailers and other small businesses and the authorized use of ignition interlock devices for first-time drunk driving offenders.
But along with developments on the legislative front, there was also “light at the end of the tunnel” in the fight against COVID-19 as Gov. Baker said he expects the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to begin arriving in Massachusetts by mid-December.
The state expects 300,000 doses to arrive by the end of the year, with health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities and seniors or those with underlying health conditions expected to be among the first to get access.
The full plan for vaccine distribution is expected to be detailed by the administration next week after it was submitted to the Centers for Disease Control this week for review, but Baker said it could be April before the general public can start rolling up their sleeves for the shot.
“It would probably be Q2 before just Joe Q or Jane Q Citizen would have access to a vaccine,” Baker said.
But the vaccine can’t arrive fast enough. The second surge is worsening, and there are signs that the fears harbored by public health officials over Thanksgiving travel and gatherings may be coming to life.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh had thought the infection rate in his city might be trending in the right direction until early this week when the data began to point to a surge within the surge.
“It could be the first signs of what the Thanksgiving holiday brought,” Walsh said Tuesday, detailing how Boston had clocked 407 new cases on the day, or more than twice the daily average.
Statewide records would also continue to fall throughout the week, with Thursday’s 6,477 new reported cases the most of any time during the pandemic, and statewide hospital capacity dipping below 25 percent. Baker went to Worcester to mark the readiness of the first field hospital to open since the spring at the DCU Center, and said another one is being prepped for Lowell. The state is also thinking about how to fortify outdoor testing sites against a New England winter.
But despite the gathering storm, Baker dismissed as “rumor mongering” another statewide lockdown and he said at this point he has no plans for further restrictions or forced business closures.
In fact, the Cannabis Control Commission greenlighted a completely new business this week – recreational marijuana home delivery. The CCC risked a lawsuit by saying yes to two new types of licenses for either dispensaries to deliver their product, or for independent business owners to buy direct from wholesalers and venture out on their own.
The one service that likely won’t be able to escape shutdowns is public transit.
The MassINC Polling Institute released the findings of a new poll Thursday showing, unsurprisingly, that people don’t like the idea of drastic service reductions to balance the transit agency’s books.
Rep. Carlos Gonzalez reviewed the official copy of the compromise policing reform bill, joined by fellow conferees Sen. Will Brownsberger and Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, before filing the legislation in the Senate clerk’s office Monday afternoon. [Sam Doran/SHNS]
The survey also found people don’t believe the T will ever restore the cuts if and when its finances improve. Well, that got under the skin of the Baker administration, which criticized the pollster for not asking people how they would propose to pay for transit that’s not being used, and insisted the cuts were temporary.
But the 66 percent of people saying the state should just tap its budget for more money weren’t alone in thinking the MBTA should reconsider its plan. The MBTA Advisory Board said the agency was being unnecessarily cautious in its budget projections for next year, and could eliminate the need for widespread service cuts with just a little positive thinking.
The advisory board’s own budget analysis suggested the financial hole facing the T could be 20 percent smaller than the worst-case scenario being planned for, negating the need to end weekend commuter rail service or cut 25 bus routes and all ferry services.
“The Advisory Board’s view is that risk of permanent loss of ridership, increased congestion, and other negative effects of service cuts to people and communities is too high a price to pay right now, just as a vaccine is on the horizon,” the board wrote.
MBTA officials, however, are forging ahead with their plan and a vote on Dec. 14, and alternatives don’t seem to be in their line of vision.
“The vast majority of MBTA service will continue, the proposed service changes are not permanent, and the MBTA will periodically realign service as feasible to match current and future ridership patterns when durable revenue is available for pay for such service,” MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said in a statement.
Leominster, MA – Leominster Credit Union (LCU) is proud to support the United Way of North Central Massachusetts and the 2021 Workplace Campaign.
“We would like to thank our wonderful employees and Board of Directors for their support, generosity and kindness during this difficult year. We know that with this $15,000 donation, the United Way of North Central Massachusetts will be able to help so many individuals and families in our communities,” stated Barbara Mahoney, President & CEO, Leominster Credit Union.
The United Way of North Central Massachusetts has continued to work tirelessly to improve the lives in the communities in which we work, live, and serve by providing services focused on health, education, and financial wellness.
“On behalf of those we serve, I’d like to thank the Leominster Credit Union team for their continued support and partnership. As the need for food, heat, and housing support increases due to the recent pandemic, we need all hands-on deck to support those most impacted. The financial support from LCU will go a long way in our work to support our friends and neighbors in need and is just one of many ways LCU continues to demonstrate a clear commitment to our community,” said Kory Eng, President & CEO, United Way of North Central Massachusetts.
For more information about the United Way of North Central Massachusetts and how to donate, please visit https://uwncm.org/.
Si las analíticas de tu sitio web se han estancado por un tiempo, quizás te estés preguntando qué puedes hacer para aumentar tu tráfico. ¿Es hora de darle un nuevo aspecto a tu sitio web? Creemos en el apoyo a los negocios locales, por lo que hemos reflexionado sobre el asunto. Echa un vistazo a 3 consejos para determinar si es el momento de actualizar la imagen de tu sitio.
Actualizar cuando los clientes muestren signos de desinterés
Observa tu tasa de rebote — Esa es la métrica que mide cuántas personas visitan tu sitio pero se van sin realizar ninguna compra. Quizás tu sitio se ve anticuado o es difícil de navegar, y eso está haciendo que los clientes potenciales se marchen. Presta especial atención a las quejas de los clientes, ya sea por correo electrónico, teléfono o en tus plataformas de redes sociales, de que tu sitio es menos que funcional o que se ve desactualizado.
Actualízate cuando sientas el calor de tu competencia
Actualizar tu sitio web es una señal para tus clientes de que te mantienes a la vanguardia en tu campo. Si estás en una competencia acalorada por clientes, la apariencia de tu sitio web puede enviar un mensaje de que eres la empresa con la que quieren tratar. Imagina visitar un sitio con contenido desactualizado, sin noticias nuevas y una apariencia anticuada. ¿No harías clic y te irías a otro lado? No le des a tus clientes la oportunidad de hacer eso.
Actualizar a Go Mobile
Cada vez más, los clientes acceden a internet a través de sus dispositivos móviles y pueden frustrarse si su sitio web es difícil de navegar porque no ha sido optimizado para móviles. Si es así, necesita agregar un diseño adaptable a su sitio o ajustar su diseño adaptable actual para que se combine con la tecnología actual. Dependiendo de cómo esté codificado su sitio, puede necesitar un rediseño completo, en lugar de simplemente darle una apariencia renovada al material existente.
Te animamos a mantener tu sitio web activo y actualizado para que los clientes de toda nuestra comunidad puedan dirigir sus negocios hacia ti.
FITCHBURG, Ma., November 30 – Workers Credit Union has received the 2020 Spirit of North Central Award for Corporate Leadership of the United Way annual campaign. During the United Way’s Annual Meeting heldearlier this fall, Workers was honored along with three other local businesses.
The award recognizes corporate partners that embody an overall spirit of giving through contributions of time, leadership and resources in support of United Way of North Central Massachusetts’ work. The recipients demonstrated excellence during a particularly challenging time through robust volunteerism and participation in the United Way workplace campaign. Each year, Workers Credit Union employees participate in the United Way in a variety of ways: payroll contribution, Day of Caring volunteerism, and employee-led fundraisers throughout the year.
“Receiving this award from the United Way is a testament to our employees’ dedication to the community and the overall culture here at Workers Credit Union. Each year, we are able to collectively donate thousands of dollars to support the important work of the United Way and help build a stronger North Central Massachusetts. I am proud to work with such caring people,” said Doug Petersen, president and CEO of Workers Credit Union.
“It’s more important than ever to support our local organizations to ensure they can continue to provide relief to the community,” said Tim Smith, Chief Financial Officer of Workers Credit Union and Vice Chairman of the Board at the United Way North Central Massachusetts. “We hope other businesses will join us in sponsoring the United Way for the 2020-2021 campaign year.”
Donations toward the United Way of North Central Massachusetts can be made at www.uwncm.org.
Workers Credit Union, a $2 billion federally-chartered credit union headquartered in Fitchburg, MA, is a member-owned financial institution with full banking services to meet a lifetime of financial needs, including the Workers Way™ and the GiveBack program. With branches in Athol, Chelmsford, Fitchburg, Gardner, Groton, Hudson, Lancaster, Leominster, Lunenburg, Orange, Townsend, Westford and Worcester as well as online, mobile, telephone, and video-teller banking, Workers proudly serves more than 106,000 members.
